Texas Sheriff's Deadly Mission

by Karen Whiddon

  Behind her, Rayna grinned. “And keep us entertained with your scintillating company, of course.”

  “Of course.” Bemused, he grinned back. Damn if he didn’t really like this woman. Even here, around her family, desire for her simmered just under his skin.

  Lauren returned, her small hands still dripping water. Clearly anticipating this, Rayna handed her a dish towel and waited while she used it. One of the chairs on the side of the table closest to the wall had a booster seat, and Lauren climbed up in it. Though she still shot Parker the occasional curious glance, she now appeared much more focused on what her grandmother was doing with the food.

  Parker inhaled, savoring the tempting aromas. “It smells delicious,” he commented. I can’t wait to try it.”

  Wanda grunted, clearly too busy to speak. A moment later, she turned around and pointed. “Food is ready. Grab your plates and fill them. Parker, you go first. You’re company.”

  “Lauren, stay put,” Rayna cautioned. “I’ll fix your plate for you.”

  “I want extra gravy,” Lauren said. “Please.”

  “I know.” Rayna grabbed two plates and then looked at Parker. “What are you waiting for? We’re all hungry.”

  This made him laugh. “I was brought up to stand back and let ladies go first,” he said. “So that’s what I’m going to do. I’ll get my food once y’all have gotten yours.”

  Rayna shrugged and went past him, filling both her daughter’s plate and her own. Wanda looked from her daughter to Parker, her gaze speculative. “Good manners, too,” she mused. “I like you, Parker Norton. You seem like good people, just like your uncle Sam.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” He ducked his head. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s no higher compliment you could pay me.”

  After Wanda had also filled her plate, Parker grabbed his and went over to check out the food. Perfectly cooked chicken-fried steak, creamy mashed potatoes, green beans with bacon, and a bowl of thick pepper gravy. A basket of fresh rolls sat next to a stick of yellow butter.

  Once he’d taken a generous portion of everything, he joined Rayna and her family at the table. The instant he sat down, they all picked up their forks, but instead of eating, they watched him.

  “No pressure or anything,” Rayna joked. “My mom loves to cook for people.”

  He nodded, cutting off a piece of his chicken-fried steak and putting it in his mouth. As the texture and flavors hit his tongue, his eyes widened. Once he swallowed, he slowly shook his head. “You weren’t kidding. That’s amazing.”

  Wanda laughed, as did Rayna. The musical sound of their laughter made him smile. Lauren even looked up from her plate. “Everyone likes Gammy’s food,” she said.

  While they ate, Parker not only allowed himself to enjoy the food, but the company. He felt at home, and only partly because of the gorgeous redhead he couldn’t get out of his mind. Her mother and her daughter all made him feel like part of the family, an honored guest.

  He could get used to this.

  The thought floored him. Cozy get-togethers with his lover and her family were not even remotely in the cards right now, for Christ’s sake. He shouldn’t have to keep reminding himself, but he’d never expected to be longing for something like this, a woman like this. A life like this.

  Realizing he’d managed to clear his plate, he went back for seconds. The others were still eating, though he caught the delighted look Wanda gave Rayna. He took a second helping of everything and sat back down. “It’s amazing,” he said, before resuming eating.

  Once everyone finished, Wanda brought out individual strawberry shortcakes, which she topped with whipped cream. The sight of these made Lauren clap her hands and squeal with delight.

  “Do you have room for dessert?” Wanda flashed a wicked grin. She looked so much like her daughter when she did that Parker cracked up laughing.

  “I’m pretty full, but I think I’ll manage,” he responded, smiling.

  Next to him, Rayna nudged him with her knee under the table. “Way to make my mom feel good,” she murmured. “Thank you.”

  Gazing into her sparkling eyes, he nearly leaned over and kissed her. At the last minute, he managed to rein himself in, just as Wanda brought them over their dessert.

  Just like everything else, the strawberry shortcake was delicious.

  “Best meal I’ve had in years,” he proclaimed, pushing away his plate. “Thank you so much, Wanda. That was wonderful.”

  Wanda beamed at the compliment.

  “Gamma’s a good cook,” Lauren chimed in. She fixed her direct green gaze on Parker. “Are you Mama’s boyfriend?”

  “Lauren!” Rayna flushed. “Mr. Norton is just my friend.”

  “He’s a boy,” Lauren insisted. “And your friend. Boyfriend.”

  This made Wanda laugh. “She has a point.”

  Rayna shook her head and began gathering up plates and carrying them to the sink. Parker pushed up and helped her. “I’ll wash and you dry,” he said.

  “We have a dishwasher,” she pointed out. “But thanks for the offer.”

  “Come on, Lauren.” Wanda held out her hand. “Let’s go see if one of your shows is on while they clean up the kitchen.”

  Though Lauren appeared undecided, shooting looks at her mother and at Parker, finally she nodded and took her grandmother’s hand, allowing herself to be led out of the room.

  Parker stacked the dishes neatly in the sink. Rayna rinsed them before placing them in the dishwasher.

  “Thank you for inviting me,” he said. “I can’t even remember the last time I had a meal so delicious. It was restaurant quality, actually even better than restaurant quality.”

  “I know.” Rayna glanced sideways at him.

  Damn, he wanted to kiss her. He jammed his hands into his pockets to keep from touching her.

  “You have a great family, Rayna.”

  Expression surprised, she nodded. “I know. Everything I do is for them. They’re my everything.”

  And just like that, he fell a little bit more in love with Rayna Coombs.

  * * *

  After Parker left, Rayna gave Lauren a bath before reading her a story and then putting her to bed. As she tucked her daughter in, she answered Lauren’s endless questions about Mama’s new friend. Lauren found Parker’s body art fascinating, and she wanted to know why Rayna didn’t have any tattoos. Rayna told her the truth, that she actually did have one, a small vine with flowers, tattooed on her hip. Of course, then nothing would do but to show it to her. Lauren oohed and aahed, tracing the design with her small finger and stating she wanted to have one just like it.

  “Someday,” Rayna said, kissing her five-year-old on the cheek and pulling the sheet up to just under her chin. “Now it’s time to go to sleep.” She turned out the light. “I love you, baby girl.”

  “I love you, too, Mama.” Lauren yawned loudly. “Night.”

  “Good night.” Rayna closed the door and headed straight to her room. She wanted nothing more than to change out of her clothes and wash off her makeup. Then she planned to pour herself a glass of wine and carry it outside on the back porch to relax.

  She’d barely finished cleaning her face, changing into a pair of soft running shorts and a tank top and slipping her feet into flip-flops when Wanda tapped lightly on her bedroom door.

  “Come in,” Rayna said, tugging her hair into a ponytail.

  “I like him,” Wanda announced, leaning on one side of the door frame. “He’s handsome, sexy and polite. Since he’s Sam’s nephew, you know he’s good people. You did well this time, Rayna. Parker Norton is nothing like Jimmy Wayne. In fact, he’s pretty much his direct opposite.”

  Wanda had never liked Rayna’s previous boyfriend, despite the fact that he was Lauren’s father. Rayna had often wished she’d listened to her mother. She could have avoided
a lot of heartache. Of course, she wouldn’t have Lauren then. Lauren was worth all the craziness and suffering.

  “Don’t let this one go,” Wanda continued. “Seriously.”

  “Mom.” Closing her eyes, Rayna took a deep breath before opening them again and meeting her mother’s gaze. “We’ve already discussed this. Neither Parker nor I are looking for a relationship. We’re just spending time together until his friend’s daughter is found.”

  Arms crossed, Wanda shook her head. “So you’ve said. But girl, did you see the way he looks at you? Like you hung the moon and the stars.”

  Rayna shrugged the words off, pretending that her breath didn’t catch in her throat at the thought. “We’re friends. Nothing more. Please don’t go making this more than what it is.”

  Though Wanda grimaced, she finally nodded. “Whatever you say, Rayna. Seems a perfect waste of a good-looking man, but you’re a grown woman.” And then, as if Rayna had personally offended her, Wanda spun and flounced out of the room.

  Rayna let her go. She sat down on the side of her bed and rubbed the back of her neck. Perfect waste of a good-looking man. Hah. Rayna didn’t think so. She enjoyed Parker’s company, she’d spent some amazing time with his body, but she couldn’t let things go any further than that. Not if she wanted to keep her heart from getting broken. Because Parker had been up-front with her, making it clear that he planned to head back to Dallas as soon as Nicole was found.

  Which might actually be a good thing. Especially since she wanted to keep her focus where it belonged—on her family and on her job. She’d let love blind her once. She didn’t plan on making that mistake again.

  The next day at work, they were surprisingly busy. One of their officers made a drug bust on a semitruck with a trailer full of produce that turned out to have a hidden compartment. The DEA had been called in and the county sheriff’s office even stopped by, due to the size of the bust.

  On top of that, Mrs. Smith on Seventh Street tried to put out a grease fire with water and nearly burned her house down. Though the volunteer fire department handled that call, Larry had gone out, too, just to make sure the elderly woman was all right.

  There was a lost dog who caused a minor accident by running out in front of a car on North Main, which made one driver swerve into another. And someone called a bomb threat in to the high school, which not only resulted in all the schools being put on lockdown, but Jones County had to send one of their canine handlers over to search the high school just in case there actually was a bomb. There wasn’t, and with a little investigative work the culprit was caught and arrested. He was a disgruntled student, shocked to learn what he’d done was a crime. Rayna had to deal with him and then his parents, who also appeared to be in complete denial about the seriousness of the situation. At least until their family attorney showed up and set them straight.

  Every time Rayna turned around, something or someone else needed her attention. She barely had time to eat lunch, even though Wanda had packed her some leftover chicken-fried steak. When she finally escaped into the conference room, asking for fifteen minutes, she used the microwave to heat her food to just lukewarm so she could eat it quickly.

  When she’d finished eating, she washed the entire thing down with a bottled water and took a deep breath. Hopefully, the remainder of the day would be better.

  On her way back to her office, she stopped by Mary’s desk and left instructions not to bother her unless it was a true emergency. Larry was there, and she had three other officers out working the streets. As sheriff, she needed to deal with paperwork and reports, so she’d like to work uninterrupted.

  Mary nodded, unimpressed and exhausted. “It must be a full moon,” she groused. “I hate when it gets like this.”

  “Me, too.” Confident that she’d now have at least a couple of hours to herself, she closed the door and logged on to the internet. Nothing from the ME’s office. She wasn’t sure if they’d email or call, but she’d been resisting the urge to call them and just ask about the results up front. She knew Sam had promised to call in a favor, but had no idea if that would actually have any effect.

  Hopefully it would. Soon. Sam usually got results.

  The timetable was a mystery. Parker wanted the results yesterday. Truth be told, she did, too.

  Despite her instructions not to be bothered, Mary knocked on her door. Before Rayna could speak, Mary pushed open the door and stuck her head in.

  “The ME’s office is on the phone,” Mary said, refusing as she did most days to use the intercom. This time, Rayna forgave her. “Line three.”

  Damn. Willing her racing heart to slow, Rayna took a deep breath and punched the button for line three. “Rayna Coombs.”

  “Hello, Sheriff Coombs,” a professional-sounding woman’s voice said. “This is LaKesha Jones with the Taylor County Medical Examiner’s office. I’ve gone ahead and emailed you what we found on your case, but I thought I’d place a courtesy phone call. The DNA did not match up with your missing person, Nicole Wilson.”

  Did not match up. The remains did not belong to Nicole. Serenity had, once again, been right with her prophecy.

  Relief made Rayna’s legs go weak. Good thing she was sitting down. But if not Nicole, then who? “Were you able to make a positive identification?” she asked.

  “We’re still working on that,” LaKesha said. “I’ll call you as soon as we have a definitive ID.”

  “Thank you.” Couldn’t ask for more. Hanging up, Rayna turned, planning to inform her staff and then decided to wait. Parker needed to be the first one to know.

  “Well?” Mary poked her head in the door again. “What’d they say?”

  “She’ll call me as soon as she has a definitive ID,” Rayna replied, sticking with a partial truth. She’d tell Mary and Larry and the others later, after Parker. For whatever reason, this felt important to her. The right thing to do.

  “I’ve got an errand to run,” Rayna said, standing. “I’ll be right back.”

  Though Mary eyed her suspiciously, she stepped aside. She’d worked with Rayna long enough to know when something wasn’t right. Her BS radar had to be working overtime. Rayna would definitely make it up to her later.

  Getting into her squad car, she drove to the Landshark Motel, relieved when she spotted Parker’s Harley parked in front of his room. Refusing to question her judgment, she knocked on the door.

  A moment later, Parker opened it. He wore only a pair of workout shorts that rode low on his hips. A slight sheen of perspiration dampened his skin. “Rayna?” Stepping aside, he motioned her in. “Sorry, I was working out.”

  “Yoga?” she asked, eyeing the yoga mat on the floor. “Somehow, you don’t look like a yoga guy.”

  This made him laugh. “Push-ups, actually. But just so you know, I’ve done my fair share of yoga, along with various forms of martial arts.”

  Since she could barely concentrate with his bare chest and muscular body so close, she swallowed and nodded. Fixing her gaze on his face, she inhaled. “I’ve got some news. The ME’s office called. While they haven’t gotten a positive ID yet, they have determined that the remains do not belong to Nicole.”

  He froze, searching her face. “Not Nicole,” he finally said, grabbing her hands and pulling her in for a quick, jubilant hug. “Not Nicole. I can’t tell you how relieved I am.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Thank you for coming to tell me in person,” he said. His voice broke and she realized emotion had gotten the best of him. Because he needed someone to hold, she let him and even held on back. Knowing how guys felt about others seeing their tears, she pretended not to notice his.

  Then he pulled back slightly, bent his head and kissed her, feelings still damp on his cheeks. The press of his mouth on hers began as a celebration, a release, and that tiny spark roared to life, flame becoming inferno.

  This. Bo
dy to body. Skin to skin and mouth to mouth. She wanted him, needed him, craved him so much she could hardly think. Could barely breathe.

  They couldn’t get their clothes off fast enough. Wanting, needing, nothing between them but skin. No words exchanged now. None necessary. Their straining bodies, the sensual caresses, the press of his hardness against her softness said it all.

  He took her standing, backing her against the wall and shoving himself inside her hard and fast and deep. Raw possession, so damn hot. Gasping, she bucked against him, urging him on. She felt her climax building, just before it swept over her like a tidal wave. Crying out, her nails digging into his skin, her body clenched as he shuddered inside her, reaching his own release.

  As their heartbeats slowed, they stood, arms locked around each other, with him still inside her, neither willing to move. Or speak. Right after that moment of pure bliss, she realized they hadn’t used protection.

  Her heart stuttered inside her chest. She wasn’t sure what to say, how to think. Truth be told, she hadn’t been thinking. Of all people, she should know better. After all, this was how she’d ended up pregnant with Lauren.

  Aware of her disquiet, he raised his head and looked at her. Expression troubled, he spoke her thoughts out loud. “We didn’t... I didn’t...”

  “I know.” Swallowing, she held his gaze. “I just had my annual well-woman and I’m healthy. What about you?”

  “I had a complete physical last month and everything checked out good.” He kissed her throat, making her shiver. “I haven’t been with anyone except you, so we’re good there. I’m assuming you’re on birth control?”

  “I am.” After her accidental pregnancy, she’d vowed never to be caught unprepared again. Though she hadn’t dated much, she took the pill just in case. Even so, she’d never again let herself get carried away by the moment. Until now. Until him.

  “Good.” He kissed her once more. “I know we agreed not to let this happen again, but what we have between us is too damn good to let it go. That said, I’m sorry.”